Can opener with removable cutter

ABSTRACT

In a can opener having a rotatable drive wheel for supporting the underside of a can chime and having an opposing cutter adapted to be moved against the can top for opening same, mounting means for the cutter including a handle having a shaft thereon inserted through a frame socket for pivoting thereabout, a lever rotated on a pin about an axis parallel to the shaft and means cooperating between the lever pin and shaft for locking them together axially of the shaft, and arcuately disposed cam means cooperating between the frame and lever on opposite radial sides of the pin suitable for urging the lever axially of the frame socket for drawing the shaft snug.

United States Patent Trelc Nov. 20, 11973 CAN OPENER WITH REMOVABLE CUTTER Primary Examiner-Othell M. Simpson [75] Inventor: William F. Trelc, Boonville, Mo. jjj' gg Sm'th orneyar es .lll'l [73] Assignee: McGraw-Edison Company, Elgin,

[5 7] ABSTRACT {22] Filed: 1971 In a can opener having a rotatable drive wheel for sup- [2l] Appl. No.: 168,058 porting the underside of a can chime and having an opposing cutter adapted to be moved against the can top for opening same, mounting means for the cutter [52] UJS. Cl. 30/4 R, 30/9 including a handlevhaving a shaft thereon inserted [5 1] Int. Cl. 32Gb 7/38 dd 0' Search 30/4 R 9 through a frame socket for pivoting thereabout, a lever rotated on a pin about an axis parallel to the shaft and means cooperating between the lever pin [56] References cued and shaft for locking them together axially of the UNITED STATES PATENTS shaft, and arcuately disposed cam means cooperating 2,810,952 10/1957 Sundell 30/4 R between the frame and lever on opposite radial sides 3,496,635 2/1970 McLean R of the pin suitable for urging the lever axially of the xzmamotow 2 g frame socket for drawing the shaft snug. erer 2 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDNUY P0 I973 SHEET 18F 2 Jnvenror W||||om F. Trelc Attorney CAN OPENER WITH REMOVABLE CUTTER This invention relates to, and an object of the invention is to provide, a can opener having improved means of removably supporting a cutter wheel and its operating handle. In most can openers, the operating handle is pivoted about a shaft or pin carried in a socket on the frame, and the handle carries the cutter for penetration of the can top and also actuates the motor powering the drive wheel. In this invention, the inward shaft end extends beyond the socket and a lever pivoted intermediate its ends has one end provided with an arcuate slotted opening to line up over the socket and hold or release the shaft end and has the opposite end projecting exteriorly of the frame to be manually actuated to release or set the handle relative to the unit. In the release rotatable position of the lever, the arcuate opening is enlarged to freely receive the shaft end while in the opposite set or securing rotatable position of the lever the adjacent part of the arcuate opening is narrower and fits behind a locking head on the shaft. Cam means are provided between the frame and lever on opposite sides symetrically of the shaft operable with tlie lever in the release position to locate the lever against the frame to receive or release the shaft and operable upon lever rotation to the set position to draw the trapped shaft axially of the socket for firming the handle and the cutter thereon snuggly against the frame. A spring is coiled around the lever pivot pin to urge the lever to its handle securing position.

The disclosed lock and release mechanism for releasably securing the operating handle and cutter carried thereon relative to the can opener frame consists of few moving parts and can be economically fabricated and easily assembled.

This invention will be more fully understood and appreciated after referring to the following specification,

' the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof,

wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the subject can opener shown with its frame or housing partially broken away for clarity of disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the unit, except with the operating handle shown removed;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken generally from line 3 3 in FIG. 1, and showing the unit operating inopening a can;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the latch mechanism as seen from line 4--4 in FIG. 3; and

FIGS. 5 and 6 are sectional view as taken from line 5 5 and line 6 6, respectively in FIG. 4.

In the drawings, a housing or casing 10 as shown has a front plate 12 and a box like rear portion 14 which are held together by bolts 15 threaded into taps on the front plate. A motor 16 is mounted from the front plate within the defined housing enclosure, and a drive wheel 18 keyed to a shaft rotated in bearing 20 through the front casing 12 is connected by a conventional gear train 22 in driven relation with motor pinion 24. The drive wheel 18 engages the underside of a can chime for supporting and rotating the can. An operating handle 26 is pivoted at shaft 28'within a socket 30 through the front plate 12 and carries thereon cutter 32 as shown as a disc freely rotated on inclined shaft 34. The cutter can be brought down against and be pushed through the can top opposite the drive wheel upon a clockwise rotation of the handle relative to FIG. 1. A control switch for operating the motor 16 is mounted within the housing enclosure from front plate 12 as exposed plunger 42 being depressed to power drive wheel 18 when the operating handle 26 is pivoted downwardly its fullest extent incidental to the cutter 32 opposing the drive wheel. A magnet 44 carried on the handle adjacent the cutter 32 is adapted to hold the severed can top as is,well known.

The particular invention relates to means for removably securing the handle 26 and the cutter 32 thereon relative to the socket 30 of the casing 10 an rotating drive wheel 18.

From FIG. 5, it is noted that the handle shaft 28 extends completely through the socket 30 and had an inboard protruding end with an exposed annular cut or groove 46 formed therein. A lock-release element or lever 50 mounted for rotation about shouldered bolt 52 threaded into a tap in the front plate 12 presents an inner end 54 which overlies the socket 30 and an outer end 56 which extends through an opening 58 in the casing 10 to be accessable for manual manipulation. At the inner lever end 54, an opening 60 is formed located circumferentially of pivot pin 54 and aligned over the socket 30. One end 62 of the opening 60 is enlarged sufficiently to receive without interference the protruding end of the handle pivot shaft 28. Consequently, when the lock release elment 50 is depressed to line up the enlarged opening 62 with the socket 30, the handle shaft 28 can be inserted into or removed from the socket. However, the opening width otherwise is only slightly larger than the groove 46 and is smaller than the handle shaft diameter such that the lock release element 50 effectively traps the handle shaft and holds it relative to the support socket 30 although the shaft can still be rotated.

A coil spring 66 on the pivot pin 54 is confined under compression between element 50 and bolt head 68 to maintain the element snuggly against the front plate 12. Also, by trapping extended spring end 70 behind lock element lug 71 and extended spring end 72 behind front plate lug 73, the spring under torsion rotatably biases the element to its securing position where the narrowed opening 60 lines up with the socket 30.

The lock element has cams 74 located on opposite sides of the pivot pin 54, and the adjacent face of the front plate 12 has relief areas 75 which receive the cam configurations 74 when the lock element 50 is in the release position (shown in phantom in FIG. 4). The element then is supported flush against front plate rib 77 extended circularly of the bolt tap closely adjacent the front of the unit where the element lines up with the shaft groove 46 when the shaft is fully inserted into the socket. However, the relief areas 75 are located so that when the element 50 is pivoted to its securing position the cams 74 ride out of the relief areas 75 and wedge the element rearwardly away from the front plate. This lateral shifting of the element also shifts the handle shaft 28 as it has been trapped by the lock-release element axially of the socket and thereby draws the handle firmly against the socket 30. This snugging action on the handle shaft occurs automatically as the element 50 is rotated to its securing position and helps align the cutter 32 laterally of the drive wheel 18.

I claim:

I. In a can opener, a housing, a rotary drive wheel, means for rotating said drive wheel relative to the housing, an operating handle, means pivoting the handle from the housing, a cutting element carried on the handle whereby rotation of said handle swings said cutting element toward and away from said drive wheel, said handle pivoting means including a bearing socket in the housing and a shaft cantilevered from the handle and said socket receiving said shaft and the end of the shaft projecting beyond the socket to within the housing, a lever, means pivoting the lever from the housing so that one lever portion is accessable outside of the housing to allow manual rotation of the lever between a securing position and a release position and another lever portion overlies and is moved transversely of the socket during said lever rotation, means cooperating between the handle shaft end and lever operable in the release position of the lever to permit unrestricted axial movement of the shaft and operable in the securing position of the lever to prevent axial removal of said shaft from the socket while still permitting shaft rotation, cam means between the lever and housing operable in the securing position to shift said lever and the axially confined shaft snuggly relative to the housing for proper cooperation between the cutting element and the drive wheel, said cam means being located on opposite sides of the lever pivot means and being engaged simultaneously upon lever rotation between the securing and release positions to keep the lever from canting, and resilient means between the lever and housing operable to urge the lever to the securing position, said resilient means including a coil compression spring that maintains the lever snug against the housing and that also has extended ends trapped relative to the housing and lever to urge the lever rotatably to the securing position.

2. In a can opener, a housing, a rotary drive wheel,

means for rotating said drive wheel relative to the housing, an operating handle, means pivoting the handle from the housing, a cutting element carried on the handle whereby rotation of said handle swings said cutting element toward and away from said drive wheel, said handle pivoting means including a bearing socket in the housing and a shaft cantilevered from the handle and said socket receiving said shaft and the end of the shaft projecting beyond the socket to within the housing, a lever, means pivoting the lever from the housing so that one lever portion is accessable outside of the housing to allow manual rotation of the lever between a securing position and a release position and another lever portion overlies and is moved transversely ofthe socket during said lever rotation, means cooperating between said handle shaft end and lever operable in the release position of the lever to permit unrestricted axial movement of the shaft and operable in the securing position of the lever to prevent axial removal of said shaft from the socket while still permitting shaft rotation, cam means between the lever and housing operable in the securing position to shift said lever and the axially confined shaft snuggly relative to the housing for proper cooperation between the cutting element and the drive wheel, and resilient means between the lever and housing operable to urge the lever to the securing position, said resilient means including a coil compression spring that maintains the lever snug against the housing and that also has extended ends trapped relative to the housing and lever to urge the lever rotatably to the securing position. 

1. In a can opener, a housing, a rotary drive wheel, means for rotating said drive wheel relative to the housing, an operating handle, means pivoting the Handle from the housing, a cutting element carried on the handle whereby rotation of said handle swings said cutting element toward and away from said drive wheel, said handle pivoting means including a bearing socket in the housing and a shaft cantilevered from the handle and said socket receiving said shaft and the end of the shaft projecting beyond the socket to within the housing, a lever, means pivoting the lever from the housing so that one lever portion is accessable outside of the housing to allow manual rotation of the lever between a securing position and a release position and another lever portion overlies and is moved transversely of the socket during said lever rotation, means cooperating between the handle shaft end and lever operable in the release position of the lever to permit unrestricted axial movement of the shaft and operable in the securing position of the lever to prevent axial removal of said shaft from the socket while still permitting shaft rotation, cam means between the lever and housing operable in the securing position to shift said lever and the axially confined shaft snuggly relative to the housing for proper cooperation between the cutting element and the drive wheel, said cam means being located on opposite sides of the lever pivot means and being engaged simultaneously upon lever rotation between the securing and release positions to keep the lever from canting, and resilient means between the lever and housing operable to urge the lever to the securing position, said resilient means including a coil compression spring that maintains the lever snug against the housing and that also has extended ends trapped relative to the housing and lever to urge the lever rotatably to the securing position.
 2. In a can opener, a housing, a rotary drive wheel, means for rotating said drive wheel relative to the housing, an operating handle, means pivoting the handle from the housing, a cutting element carried on the handle whereby rotation of said handle swings said cutting element toward and away from said drive wheel, said handle pivoting means including a bearing socket in the housing and a shaft cantilevered from the handle and said socket receiving said shaft and the end of the shaft projecting beyond the socket to within the housing, a lever, means pivoting the lever from the housing so that one lever portion is accessable outside of the housing to allow manual rotation of the lever between a securing position and a release position and another lever portion overlies and is moved transversely of the socket during said lever rotation, means cooperating between said handle shaft end and lever operable in the release position of the lever to permit unrestricted axial movement of the shaft and operable in the securing position of the lever to prevent axial removal of said shaft from the socket while still permitting shaft rotation, cam means between the lever and housing operable in the securing position to shift said lever and the axially confined shaft snuggly relative to the housing for proper cooperation between the cutting element and the drive wheel, and resilient means between the lever and housing operable to urge the lever to the securing position, said resilient means including a coil compression spring that maintains the lever snug against the housing and that also has extended ends trapped relative to the housing and lever to urge the lever rotatably to the securing position. 